Google is ramping up the presence of Android gaming on PC, with the launch of the Google Play Games beta in several more countries.
Following an experimental launch in the Far East, the beta is now available in the United States, Canada and five other countries as a standalone application for Windows PCs.
Google isn’t including the United Kingdom in the beta for the time being, but the wider roll out suggests the company is preparing to launch the service as a fully-fledged product globally.
“As we move towards a full release, we will continue to add new features and evaluate developer and player feedback,” Arjun Dayal, the director of Google Play Games says in a blog post. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Brits can jump aboard.
Gamers will be able to enjoy a carefully chosen line-up of Android games via their desktop or laptop PC and take advantage of the larger display and optimised graphics. There’s also support for physical controllers, including the mouse and keyboard for more precise play.
However, the key selling point is the ability to sync game saves between PC and mobile, meaning you can play on the move and pick-up your progress when you get back to your PC.
There are 85 games currently available via the service including 1945 Air Force, Blade Idle, Cookie Run: Kingdom, and Evony: The King’s Return. You can get a sense for the service in the video from Google below.
In the preview page, Google says: “We optimise every game for PC in collaboration with the developer – so you can experience your favourites the way the creators intended. Plus, we run safety checks on all games to help keep your device safe and secure.”
Users will need a PC running PCs Windows 10 or higher with an integrated graphics card and 4-core (or better) CPU. Here are the minimum specs required.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
